# BonChat vs Friendster

The clearest difference is rating: BonChat at 4.8 against Friendster's 4.1. BonChat also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (59K vs 48). Friendster's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 weeks). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Friendster sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. BonChat asks for nothing beyond the download.

BonChat holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BonChat has 59K ratings behind it against 48, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 56% of BonChat's written reviews are positive against 63% of Friendster's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

BonChat ships an update every 4 weeks, Friendster every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BonChat | Friendster |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (59K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bonchat/id6701998686/reviews)** | [4.1 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friendster/id6760240416/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **59K** | 48 |
| Positive reviews | 55.7% of reviews | **63.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 77 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Hong Kong CipherChat Tech Company Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1769526889) | [Friendster Labs Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883409855) |

## What reviewers say

### BonChat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bonchat/id6701998686)

This app offers secure messaging and file sharing with state-of-the-art end-to-end encryption. It provides options for private or on-premise server deployment, advanced group management, and a user-friendly interface. Enjoy seamless cross-platform communication with full control over your data.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, Private/on-premise server deployment, Advanced group management, User-friendly interface, Cross-platform support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful training
- 💡 Useful updates and news
- 🔒 Safe and secure communication

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inadequate training
- 🐛 Difficult to use
- 💬 Feature poor (can't hide online status, keyboard hides text area)

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices

**Requested features**

- Add read receipts (two checkmarks when message is read)
- Improve keyboard and text area usability


### Friendster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/friendster/id6760240416)

Connect with people you know in real life through a private social network. Add friends by tapping phones in person and share posts and messages within your trusted circle, free from ads and algorithmic manipulation.

**Highlights:** In-person friend linking, Private friend graph feed, 1:1 and group messaging, No ads, No algorithmic feed

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Friendster Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Friendster Premium | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BonChat free?

BonChat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Friendster free?

Friendster is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, BonChat or Friendster?

BonChat is rated higher. BonChat averages 4.8 out of 5 from 59K ratings, while Friendster averages 4.1 from 48 ratings.

### Do BonChat or Friendster have ads?

Neither BonChat nor Friendster shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BonChat or Friendster?

BonChat ships an update every 4 weeks, and Friendster every 3 days. Most recently, BonChat was updated on October 20, 2026 and Friendster on October 19, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*